Upside Down Under

Welcome to Cape Breton Island...

Several months ago, I stated in this space that if Hillary Clinton becomes president, I’ll move to Canada.

That also includes Donald Trump because with his arrogance and temper, we’ll probably soon be at war with Mexico over his “wall” that he wants to build.

As it turns out, my “threat” to move to Canada is what a lot of other people are thinking also.

When I made my original statement, I was thinking about Regina or Winnipeg because I have friends in both places. What I couldn’t have imagined, and what is actually happening, is that Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, has set up a website to welcome Americans who want to leave the United States should Trump or Clinton get into the White House.

This isn’t a joke. I did some research and found that this is authentic. Rob Calabrese, a disk jockey on CHRK radio in nearby Sydney, Nova Scotia, came up with the idea because the island is losing population. Calabrese assumed there will most likely be despondent Americans with either Clinton or Trump in the White House.

What’s interesting to me is that I thought I was the only one who would make such a “pie-in-the-sky” statement. Quite the contrary.

In the first three days the Cape Breton website was on the Internet, it received 2,000 emails asking for more information on how to relocate to Nova Scotia.

Since then, the requests have become so overwhelming, Calabrese was overwhelmed and had to turn his clever campaign over to the local tourism board.

Since this story broke, CBC Nova Scotia picked it up and actually featured seven enticing properties in a major news segment that is also aired in parts of Maine.

If either of these shysters get into the White House, this nation is doomed, at least for four years. But at least there’s a sanctuary in Atlantic Canada about the size of Connecticut.

But you can’t just move to Cape Breton Island. You have to go through Canadian immigration because federal law overrides provincial desire.

But herein lies the issue, or the gift. When you apply for a visa, do you write down that you are seeking political asylum from the United States?

That too, isn’t so far fetched. Immigration attorney Damien Berry has told the media he is offering advice to those Americans who are serious about leaving the U.S.

This would actually be the second time in American history this has happened, but it last occurred nearly 250 years ago.

From Revolutionary War history, we know thousands of French “Americans,” who the British called spies, made an exodus to, you guessed it, Nova Scotia.

Today, the reasoning is completely different, but it could have a very similar outcome on Canada’s ocean playground.

For all these years, since 1776, the United States has been the envy of the world. Numerous wars, economic depressions, disease epidemics, presidential assassinations, prolonged droughts and famine, yet, the United States has remained the envy of the free world.

Until now. If you don’t believe me, log on to (http://cbiftrumpwins.com/#intro) and see it for yourself.

I’m not really going to move to Canada. I enjoy visiting and always want to remain welcome. But perhaps I’ll visit Nova Scotia.

The strangest part of this scenario is that scores of Americans actually think Clinton or Trump would be good leaders.

That can’t be farther from the truth. Clinton has already shown numerous failures as secretary of state. And I doubt that Trump knows the front side from the back side of an M-16 rifle so how could he command a military? And what happens when someone attacks the United States like Japan did in 1941? How do you think Donald Trump would react to that. Roosevelt handled it well. Trump would have a meltdown.

If one of them wins the 2016 election, the United States will become the mockery of the rest of the world. Trump has already alienated Mexico and Canada, our biggest trade partners, he’s been banned from the British Isles and has lashed out at the pope.

Can you think of anytime in American history in which any election has had a weaker field?

This is serious. Cape Breton is serious and Vladimir Putin is serious about toying with the new American president.

Our president isn’t an absolute ruler, but the choices we have are bad enough for some to consider a move to Cape Breton Island.